The simple truth is that you need to be more aware of what you’re leaving for other people to hear. Sure, this doesn’t always register as a priority for users, but it’s never too late to reassess your greeting. a. Reading/Speaking in the Imperfect Tone: Tone is absolutely everything. Users don’t want to come off as being too nice, as it sounds insincere, or being too terse, as it can be interpreted as being rude. That being said, striking the right balance is absolutely essential. Your greeting exists as its own entity, and therefore, it should NOT rely on callers’ familiarity with you. Instead, it needs to appeal to the masses. As such, your inflection, i.e. the way you state your name and directions, needs to be both welcoming and firm. b. Injecting Humor & Insincerity: While humor/light heartedness can be welcoming, it can also convey a sense of informality, insincerity, and ultimately unprofessionalism. Why, because you’re not there to lend your humor or to contextualize. Instead, you’re assuming the caller has a working knowledge of your personality to ground the message. Though this might not sound like it’s all that terrible—it can be detrimental. As stated above, one should NEVER rely on a caller’s familiarity with you. Instead, aim to appeal to the masses. Humor is ultimately subjective, meaning not everyone has the same tastes; therefore, someone is bound to be turned off by a quirky or off-color remark. While implementing a light-hearted or even tongue and cheek tone can work, it’s just a really bad idea.
These of course are very basic templates. Feel free to make your voicemail fit you — just keep it professional. Good luck! Looking for an Internship? See if Uloop can help you find an internship. Apply to Write for Uloop News Join the Uloop News Team 4 Way To Balance Work and College By Bethany Fischer College takes up a lot of time. Some students choose to dedicate all of their time to studying, without getting a... 4 Ways You Can Stand Out in a Job Interview By Alicia Geigel When applying for jobs, we have a desperate need to do anything we can to stand out. Creating an attractive resume,... How to List Internship Experience on a Resume By Victoria Robertson For many college students, internships are the real way in which we obtain our experience. In other words, without...
